Go Back
Print
Extraordinary Granola
This granola is so simple to throw together and is better than any store-bought granola on the market, not overly sweet and packed with ingredients that are already in your pantry.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: breakfast, ice cream topping, snack, yogurt topping
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut
  • 2 cups slivered almonds
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 3 T. light brown sugar use less or more according to your preference, I find this a perfect amount, adding sweetness but does not overwhelm and taste too sweet
Wet Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 T. unsalted butter, melted optional, but does add depth of flavor
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
Aromatics:
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cardamom optional
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
Added after baking:
  • 2 cups of your favorite dried fruit such as dates and dried cherries, chopped optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 deg.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  3. Prepare dry / wet / and aromatic ingredients and set aside.   

  4. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well incorporated and everything is coated and moistened.
  5. Spread evenly into a fairly thin layer.

  6. Bake until golden and toasted to your liking, turning the pan halfway through and giving the mixture a stir.   Redistribute into a fairly thin layer again.

  7. Watch closely toward the end of the 30 min. to avoid over-browning.
  8. Let cool on the baking sheet for ~ 30-60 min. This allows things to solidify so that you end up with some nice chunks of granola.

  9. ALTERNATIVE #1: Break apart and store big chunks of granola in an airtight container lined with parchment paper – awesome for snacking.

  10. With the remaining loose granola, add any dried fruit or other add-ins of your choosing and store in an air-tight container lined with parchment paper– awesome for topping yogurt, ice cream, parfaits, etc.

  11. ALTERNATIVE#2:  Break up the entire sheet so it is all loose granola and add the dried fruit or other add-ins here and store in an airtight container lined with parchment paper.

Recipe Notes

Substitutions can easily be made:

  1. Cashews → use almonds, macadamias, pecans, pistachios or a combination of all to equal 1 cup
  2. Coconut → you could sub in some additional nuts here or maybe adding flax seeds or chia seeds
  3. Slivered almonds → you can also use sliced, maybe sub pine nuts if you're not a fan of almonds
  4. Cinnamon/cardamom → you can omit the cardamom or use instead of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice would work well, nutmeg, ginger, or any combination of these aromatics customized to your taste preferences
  5. original recipe by Michael Symon of The Chew, with my own additions to add more sweetness, moisture, and aromatics.
  6. recipe can be divided in half.  full recipe makes two whole baking sheets worth!!!! 
  7. I have not tried freezing but don't see why it would not freeze well, if wrapped tightly.